Shloka 50

Devanagari script

सध्वजा: सायुधा: शूरा: सवर्माम्बरभूषणा: । कालेन महता यत्ता: कुशलैयें च वर्धिता:

Transliteration

sadhvajāḥ sāyudhāḥ śūrāḥ savarmāmbarabhūṣaṇāḥ | kālena mahatā yattāḥ kuśalaiś ca vardhitāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “They were warriors furnished with banners and weapons, adorned with armor and fine garments. Disciplined over a long span of time and strengthened by skilled training, they stood prepared—an army shaped by patience, order, and practiced competence as the war’s moral weight drew near.”

Word by Word

सध्वजाःhaving banners/standards

सायुधाःarmed; having weapons

शूराःheroes; brave warriors

सवर्माम्बरभूषणाःwearing armor, garments, and ornaments

कालेनby time; over time

महताgreat; long (in extent)

यत्ताःtrained/disciplin ed; exerted (well-prepared)

कुशलैःby the skilled (men); by experts

चand

वर्धिताःincreased/nurtured; made to grow

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

banners (dhvaja)

weapons (āyudha)

armor (varman)

garments (ambara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that martial strength is not merely bravery but the result of sustained discipline and expert training; ethical responsibility in war is intensified when power is carefully cultivated and organized.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the warriors as fully equipped—bearing banners, weapons, armor, and fine attire—and emphasizes that they have been prepared over a long time and strengthened by skilled guidance, setting the scene for imminent battle.